Bicycle-saddle spring-support.



J. C. WALKER.

BICYCLE SADDLE SPRING SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- l4| I916. 1,229,353.

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JAMES C. WALKER, 0F TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR 'IO WOLVERINE LEATHER GOODS COMBANY, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

BICYCLE-SADDLE SPRING-SUPPORT.

' Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 12, 191?.

Application filed September 14,1916. Serial No. 119,998.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES C. WALKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Bicycle-Saddle Spring-Support, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to saddles for bicycles motorcycles and the like, and consists in the novel construction and arrangement as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

The invention has for its object the provision of a simple and improved form of spring support for saddles of the above char acter which shall be effective in absorbing shocks and jars through the yielding action of the springs, and in retarding and cush ioning the reaction thereof in a manner to secure a resilient and easy riding support for the user.

In attaining the above object the invention contemplates the employment, in connection with the seat or saddle base and its supporting truss, of a transverse support carried by the truss and freely receiving the parallel side members of a connected to the saddle base, of, two compression coiled springs embracing the side members of the yoke respectively and seated upon the transverse support, and two 'dou ble acting or expansion and compression springs secured at opposite ends respectively to said transverse support and to the free ends of said yoke, whereby both pairs of springs cooperate to support and resist downward movement of the saddle base while the latter pair of springs serve to retard the reaction of the former pair of springs at the limit of their extension so as to check and cushion the upward action of the saddle base upon its return to the normal position. i

A preferred structural arrangement of the essential features of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a saddle equipped with my improved spring support, a portion of the saddle basebeing broken away to show the connection of the parts.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the saddle showing one side of the spring supporting means in transverse vertical section.

Referring to the par ts by the characters of r fer nce thsdrawl g 1 ind cates a yoke hingedly set transversely common form of saddle having the base or seat formed of leather in the desired shape, which is mounted at the pommel or forward end upon a coiled loop spring 2 and which is carried at the rear end upon an arcuate metal cantle 3. The oantle is connected to the pommel of the saddle by means of a downwardly arched rearwardly forked brace 4 which is suitably secured at its forward end (not shown) to the looped spring 2, and

- is provided at each of its rear ends with an eye 5 which engages the under face of said cantle and receives a bolt 6 extended therethrough. Each of said bolts also extends through the folded portions of a clip 7 1 forming a hinge barrel and receives a binding nut 8 by which the parts are drawn together.

Extending transversely of the rear of the saddle is a yoke 9 the'cross portion of which is hingedly embraced by the barrels of the clips 7 and the side portions extend downwardly in two spaced parallel stems 10 which are provided at their free ends with binding nuts 11.

The saddle is mounted upon a main support 12 in the form of a divided truss having the usual binding clamp 13 embracing the parallel side portions thereof and which is adapted for attachment to a saddle post as is common. The forward end of the su port 12 is connected by a bolt 14: with nut 15 to the looped spring 2, and the rear ends of this support are deflected laterally and terminate in vertically disposed eyes 16.

. These eyes are connected to the vertical portions upon opposite sides of a laterally offeXtending horizontal support 17 by bolts 18 secured by binding nuts 19, and upon the free ends of this support,

, which is extended to embrace the vertical stems of the yoke 9, the springs for support- .ing the rear of the saddle are mounted.

These' springs comprise upper and lower pairs 20 and 21, respectively, the latter of which are helically wound expansion coils having axial eyes 22 and 23 at opposite ends respectively, and in which the windings or coils are sufficiently spaced apart to permit of alimited compression of the spring within its normal length so as to render it active or double acting in resisting movement ax ially in opposite directions. Each of these springs embraces concentrically the respect ve stem 10 of the y ke P thevlower ind? of which the eye 22 is secured between the jam nuts 11 thereon, and the upper end of the spring is secured to the under face of the corresponding end of the transverse support 17 by means of a tubular bolt or nipple 24. This nipple, which freely embraces the stem and is extended vertically through the end of the support and-through the eye 28 of the spring, is provided with a shoulder 25 Whichseats on the upper face of said support and carries a nut 26 on the lower end thereof in engagement with the under face of said eye, whereby said springs are suspended and said stems are supported thereby to permit of movement axially therewith through the ends of said transverse support.

The uppermost pair of springs 20 are helically wound open or compression coils, preferably conical in form and are interposed between the saddle base and the transverse support in a manner to cooperate with the springs 21 in resisting downward movement ,of the saddle. Each of these conical springs surrounds the upper portion of the respective stem 10 in vertical alinement with the spring 21 and terminates at its upper reduced end in an axial eye .27 which closely embraces said stem and bears against the cross member of the yoke 9 upon which it exerts upward tension The base of this spring, which seats upon'the upper face of the transverse support 17 is formed with an axial eye 28 which closely embraces the head or shoulder 25 of the nipple 24 and by which it is held against lateral displacement on said support.

' By extending the ends of the transverse support so as to interpose them between the upper and lower sets of springs and to include the stems of the yoke, and by the employment of the tubular bolt with jam nut, it will be seen that the springs will be simply and effectively secured in axial alinement about the stems in a manner to'permit of free and independent movement of the connected parts.

The springs be ng thus mounted, both sets will normally operate to yieldably sustain the saddle through the medium of the yoke,

in the action of which the swinging and vertical movement imparted by the springs will be accommodated bythe hinged connection of, the cross portion of the yoke with the cantle and by the clearance afforded the stems within the tubular bolts or" nipples.

The lower set, of springs, "by reason of their slightlyiopen coiled formation, will counteract to retard and cushion the reaction of the springs upon their return to the normal position, thus overcoming theshocks resulting from the rebound, and providing an "easylactlng springsupport for the rider.

It is obviousthat changes maybe made the structural details-without "departing 7 rounding said stem in bearing engagement therewith at one end andseated at its opposite end upon said transverse support, and an expansible and contractible coiled spring surrounding said stem and secured axially at one end to said transverse support and at its oppositeend to the freeend of said stem. i v

2. A bicycle saddle support comprising in combination with the saddle base, a main support yieldably connected thereto at one end and having the opposite end thereof deflected laterally in opposite directions and terminating in transverse supports, a yoke hingedly connected transversely to said saddle base and having two lateral stems extending freely through the ends respectively of said transverse supports, two compressible coiled springs embracing said stems respectively in bearing engagement at one end each with said yoke and seated at their opposite ends upon the respective ends of said transverse supports, two expansible and contractible coiled springs surrounding said stems respectively and connected axially thereto at one end each, and tubular bolts freely embracing said stems and axially connecting the opposite ends of said springs with the respective ends of said transverse supports.

from at opposite ends, a transverse yoke hingedly connected to the saddle base and -having' two lateral stemsextending freely through the respective'ends of said trans verse support, two compressible coiled in engagement at one end each with'said yoke and seated at the opposite end upon "the respective end of said transverse support,,two expansible and contractible coiled 3. A bicycle saddle support comprising springs, embracing said stems respectively V springs surrounding said stems respectively and connected thereto at one end each, and

means freely embracing said stems and ax- 'iallyconnecting the opposite ends of said springs with, the respective ends of said a transverse support.

LIn-a bicycle saddle the combination with a saddle base and main support, of a transverse support mounted on said'main support and extending therefrom at opposite ends a transverse yoke hingedly con nected to said saddle base and having two depending stems extending freely through the respective ends of said transverse sup-' port, a tubular bolt mounted in each end of said transverse support and freely embracing the stem thereon, two compression coiled springs surrounding said stems respectively in bearing engagement at one end each with said yoke and seated at the opposite end upon the respective end of said transverse support, and two expansive and contractive coiled springs surrounding said stems respectively each connected at one end fication.

JAMES C. WALKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

